The last day of filing of nominations by contesting candidates on Monday saw high drama as the Congress and its alliance partner Telangana Jana Samiti crossed limits and fielded candidates in each other’s allotted constituencies.

Against eight seats allotted to the TJS, the party issued B-forms to its candidates in 14 constituencies.

Likewise, the Congress issued B-forms to its candidates in nine out of fourteen constituencies where the TJS nominees filed nominations.

The overlap also related to Mahbubnagar and Aswaraopet (ST) constituencies where both TJS and Telugu Desam candidates filed nominations.

The fourteen constituencies where TJS candidates filed nominations included Medak, Dubbaka, Siddipet, Malkajgiri, Warangal (East), Miryalguda, Aswaraopet, Mahbubnagar, Wardhannapet (SC), Amberpet, Station Ghanpur (SC), Asifabad (ST), Khanapur (ST) and Chennur. Except Siddipet, Malkajgiri and Wardhannapet, the Congress candidates filed nominations in nine out of the remaining eleven segments and TDP in the other two.

The Congress was allotted 94 seats, Telugu Desam 14, TJS 8 and CPI 3 in the seat sharing among these parties. But, it effectively meant that the Congress exceeded its limit by four seats and TJS by six.

The four seats where the Congress issued B-forms outside of its allotment included Medak, Dubbaka, Amberpet and Warangal (East). The Congress also benefited from Telugu Desam giving up Patancheru seat.

Hence, the tally of Congress went up to 99 seats while the TDP was down from 14 to 13.

In Patancheru, the Congress gave B-form to Mr. Kata Srinivas Goud and Mr. A. Upender Reddy at Medak. Mr. Maddula Nageswara Reddy filed papers on behalf of Congress at Dubbaka and Mr. Vaddiraju Ravi Kiran represented the same party at Warangal (East).

Uttam’s relative

The party also fielded Mr. Padi Kaushik Reddy, a close relative of Telangana Congress committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.

His name and that of Mr. Srinivas Goud were not in the list of six candidates released by Congress late on Sunday night.

Though senior leaders of TJS claimed that the Congress will be persuaded to withdraw from seats where the candidates of both parties entered the fray, it was obvious that a friendly contest between them was inevitable if it did not take place.